I think we can safely assume that the switch was accompanied by a pledge of party support in next year's primary, otherwise all he's doing is exchanging a butt whipping in the Republican Primary for a butt-whipping in the Democrat Primary.

I think we can safely assume that the switch was accompanied by a pledge of party support in next year's primary, Well, if they tried that in Wisconsin the rank and file would have party leaderships' head on a stick. We don't like party bosses getting involved in primaries.

He switched because the Republican Party has been taken over by the likes of Rush, Sean, Glenn, Dobson, Savage, Coulter, Ingraham, Goldberg, O'Reilly, hypocrites like Jindel and Perry, and of course, the rest of the fanatical right wing.

Just today Jindel raved about wonderful the high speed rail would be (after badmouthing it endlessly), and Perry asked for Perry has asked for 37,430 courses of anti-viral medicine from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention because of the swine flu outbreak. (I thought Texas was leaving?)

You know, Jeremy, he didn't switch because of any of that. He switched because he was going to get his ass kicked by Pat Toomey in the Republican Primary. So he went to Obama, Emanuel and Ed Rendell to save his butt.

Try to pretend you actually know something about the Republican Party the next time you post, okay.

Michael Penn, regarding my comment that more than 200,000 Republicans in Pennsylvania changed their registration to become Democrats.

"That's a lie."

Oh, really?

Arlen Specter: "Since my election in 1980, as part of the Reagan Big Tent, the Republican Party has moved far to the right. Last year, more than 200,000 Republicans in Pennsylvania changed their registration to become Democrats. I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans."

It's small of me, but one of the annoying things about a story like this is the thought that this will make people I dislike (like Alpha"that NY shooter was a Rush Limbaugh disciple"Liberal and JeremyMichaelOldson) happy.

But then I come here and read their posts and realize they're still just as bitter and dyspeptic as ever. And, I'm ashamed to say, that brightens my day immensely!

No matter what happens these guys are permanently dissatisfied. One can only imagine the squalor of their personal lives (quadriplegic insurance adjusters? frustrated actors? "ass man" at the BuyMore?) that leads them to invest their emotional capital into partisan politics to the extent of trolling on what they perceive as a conservative website full of hateful people.

And even with politics providing the "meaning" in their lives, they can't even take joy in a partisan political victory. Imagine being a life long rabid Red Sox fan and you can't even really enjoy the World Series victory. Instead of celebrating with fellow fans you head down into your mom's basement and get on the computer and go onto a Yankees chat board to rag on Yankees fans!!!

Their can be no joy in Jeremy's life. Let's say his sister has a kid (I'm assuming Jeremy has never known the pleasure of a woman). I bet Jeremy can maintain the smiles for a only a couple of minutes, before he sours the mood in the room by ranting about Cheney McHalliburton.

I mean, think about it. The Presidency, both houses in Congress and now a filibuster proof majority on the way. And there is no satisfaction, only bitterness at the mere fact that people exist who have different opinions.

Jeremy, Alpha, thank you! You've provided a ray of sunshine on this otherwise dreary day :)

Hoosier Daddy said..."It's not season yet. If you really lived here like you claimed you'd know that."

I did live in Indiana for a few years (and what that has to do with knowing the corn season is a mystery to me), and actually liked Indianapolis and the surrounding areas, but the overall mindset was way too far to the right for me.

I like people who think for themselves versus the standard "dittohead" mentality.

Conservative media hosts, including Michelle Malkin and Glenn Beck, have placed the blame for the spread of swine flu to the United States squarely on the shoulders of undocumented Mexican immigrants. Some even suggested yesterday that Mexicans were purposefully carrying the virus across the border to sabotage the United States.

There's no basis for either claim -- in fact, news reports and health officials suggest that Americans traveling to Mexico likely carried the disease home. For example, several students at the infected school in New York had recently come back from a spring break trip to Cancun.

My take on Specter has always been that he is a carefully prepared operator for whatvever cause hires him onto their side. In that sense he has always been an independent. The republicans are "out" of power and influence now, so Arlen will make the best move for him again. That is really being a very good politician. Just don't count on him showing heroic loyalty to a losing cause. If he had been at the Alamo, Texas would still be part of Mexico.

The Republicans hold the majority in Congress for 12 of the last 14 years...a Republican holds the White House for eight of the last eight years...then lose the majority and the White House...and the Cigar is SUDDENLY concerned about "One Party Rule."

The Cuban Cigar - "You seem to celebrate anything that diminishes the influence of the opposition. You want them to be insignificant which is very close to non-existent."

Where the fuck have YOU been over the past eight years?

Up until 2007, the Democrats haven't been able to even get anything out of committee, much less into any real discussion or debate because of the Republican majority.

Bush didn't veto a single bill in the first five years of his terms as President, while the Republicans ran roughshod over Congress, only to immediately begin issuing vetoes as soon as the Democrats gained a degree of power.

In the first decade of the 21st century, no Senate term had fewer than 49 filibusters. The 1999-2002 Senate terms both had 58 filibusters.[19] The 110th Congress broke the record for filibuster cloture votes reaching 112 at the end of 2008.

According to polls, anywhere from 27-35% of Americans label themselves as 'conservative.'

The GOP is doing their best to make sure that all the moderates move over to the Democratic party, ensuring a center-left governing coalition that they can rail against.

Tim Pawlenty is cursing today. As soon as the Minnesota Supreme Court upholds the previous ruling (and it will) he will be by law bound to sign the documents certifying Franken's election, and when he does the GOP will hate him forever.

The other aspect is that Spector can read the writing on the wall and knows that the GOP will be the deadender party in perpetuity.

If the Democratic Party actually believed that, they wouldn't accept Specter. They would simply run a Democratic candidate against him -- one with positions more in line with the Democratic platform, and one with a long history of loyalty to the party.

Parties only welcome these sorts of "turncoats" when they know their hold on power isn't that solid.

Democrats played some damn full time dirty pool with filibusters beating all records and now they play dirty pool again to make sure that it isn't done to them because they know what they did to a Commander in Chief.

A Commander in Chief who was trying to respond to a historical attack on the US proper and to answer a madman that was making all kinds of threats.

At this point in time, it might be helpful to note that Spector's opponents could have had a major impact on both the stim plan and on Spector's future career. Instead, they did something completely ineffective either because they're completely incompetent or because they don't really want to succeed or some combination of both.

The same organization behind that idiotic video is now pushing the "tea parties" together with other conservatives who have absolutely no clue and who are ignoring or impeding doing something effective.

What does it matter you Dem suckers?? Phil Spector is headed to jail for what he did to that poor girlfriend of his. If I had my way, he would have been put away after he beat up Ronnie and after he tried to derail Leonard Cohen's career.

madawaskan said..."The 110th Congress broke the record for filibuster cloture votes reaching 112 at the end of 2008."

Who be behind these filibusters?

The Republican minority used the filibuster frequently in the first month of the session.

With Democrats firmly in control of the House and possessing the slimmest of majorities in the Senate, 2007 would be a record year for filibusters, but it wasn't by the "party of obstruction".

This time, it was the minority GOP that would set a new record for filibusters in the last 220+ years. But what of 2008?

Make your own judgment, I leave you only with the facts. Republican Senator Tom Coburn has been "holding" dozens of bills this year, most of which are extremely popular on both sides of the aisle and passed the House of Representatives -- which doesn't recognize the concept of holds -- by 400+ votes.

Many of these bills are actually pieces of Republican legislation, meaning Coburn has been holding up his own party in an election year. In the interest of getting a fair vote for these bills, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid rolled every one of Coburn's holds into one large omnibus package that would pass or fail with a single vote, pitting the personal interests of Coburn against not just Democrats, but his own party.

The result was nothing short of stunning; by a vote of 52-43 almost strictly along party lines, Senate Republicans filibustered their own legislation.

If ever there was any question as to who the real party of no new ideas, and obstructionism is, let it be written in stone this day: Grand Old Party, 2008 Edition.(Newsvine)

Alex said..."So this pretty much means the death knell of the GOP. Congrats Dems, you just got dictatorial control of the United States of America forever. Please don't put conservatives in concentration camps."

Michael Penn said... Now if we can get rid of Snowe and Collins we can reclaim our party back-at least in the senate..

Well, you would have a Party still represented in the Senate, but with over 60 Democrats, loss of the Filibuster, Republicans would be nothing but powerless bench warmers consoling one another how wonderful it was because the more "pure they were becoming".

And a Party that abandoned the Northeast, Midwest, Pacific Coast states, for being run by Fundies from the Old Confederacy States..excepting Virgina and N Carolina moving into a new day..

Hey, it sucks being in the minority but nobody has cited a significant disadvantage that the Left has to contend with now:

They are in power and have absolute control over 2 of the 3 branches of government. If something goes wrong on their watch, it will be hard to point fingers at the minority party. Additionally, if they don't do everything that they have promised like say, for example, enact nationalized healthcare, repeal DOMA, repeal Don't Ask/Don't Tell, etc. etc. they will be widely reviled by the very leftist fringe that put them into power. If they do all of those things, they will be immediately abandoned by the squishy center. Have fun folks!

Parties only welcome these sorts of "turncoats" when they know their hold on power isn't that solid.

Perhaps. It could also be a way for Democrats to give a good old FU to Republican leadership.

And AJ, I disagree that Gov. Casey would be rolling over in his grave. Where do you think Sen. Casey learned his political tricks? At the knee of his father is my guess. (I sure do agree with your take on the record of the Senators in the past 30 years: Horrid).

Actually this will not be carte blance for Obama/Pelosi to fully enact the leftist/socialist/Marxist agenda once and for all. Put the new socialist state as a "fact on the ground" and even if the voters revolt in 2010-2012, it will be too late.

It's a good thing that the liberals have complete, no-excuses control of power now. I assume they will use it to implement much more drastic left-wing policies much sooner than they could have otherwise. They will open the borders in whatever ways they can to more non-white immigration, because that increases their power even more. They will tie down the productive sector with much more regulation and taxes in a much shorter time frame than they were able to when they had to compromise.

The result will be an acceleration of the decline of the quality of life for the people who generally speaking aren't Democrats: middle class white people. That's good. The worst possible situation is what we've had for the last several decades where the white middle-class frog has been slowly boiling to death in the pot of amnesties and higher non-white birth rates. Now it will get bad much more quickly, which will wake the white middle class up sooner...perhaps soon enough to save themselves, though I think it's too late to save the United States. The end of the United States was written in the cards when the 1965 immigration law changes were made.

So I say: bring it on, liberals. Do as Obama promised when he said he was going to "fundamentally change the United States of America": pass every economy-choking, neighborhood-destroying, speech-suppressing, gun-confiscating, enemy-appeasing initiative you've been itching to pass for generations. Bring out all that hate for middle-class white people and put it on full display so that they can finally see with clear eyes just what your intentions have always been: the end of America in any form that our forefathers would recognize.

This is ultimately not a bad thing for Republicans. Or rather, its a short term setback but a long term gain. There are far too many squishes in the party and even though tis allows for a momentary setback, it also allows for republicans to regroup and get back on message. Plus, giving the democrats a veto proof majority guarantees that any issues with card check, the budget, foreign policy, the bailouts belong to the democrats and democrats alone. Any scandals (and there are an ever increasing number of them) resound to the determinent of democrats only. They get to watch the bloated democrats consumed by their power and hubris, run ever farther to the left and be discredited by their own policies and corruption.

So I say: bring it on, liberals. Do as Obama promised when he said he was going to "fundamentally change the United States of America": pass every economy-choking, neighborhood-destroying, speech-suppressing, gun-confiscating, enemy-appeasing initiative you've been itching to pass for generations. Bring out all that hate for middle-class white people and put it on full display so that they can finally see with clear eyes just what your intentions have always been: the end of America in any form that our forefathers would recognize..

Perhaps. It could also be a way for Democrats to give a good old FU to Republican leadership.

I guess. The Republicans I know have pretty much reacted with a "eh, he voted with the Democrats anyway". There's a lot of talk about how this switch gives the Democrats a filibuster-proof majority, but most of the people I know assumed Specter would be voting for cloture even if he was nominally a Republican.

For anyone who has paid attention to American politics for any length of time should realize that no one political party sits in the seat of power forever. Given time, the Democrats will be sitting in the corner with the dunce hat wondering what they did to piss off the electorate.

For anyone who has paid attention to American politics for any length of time should realize that no one political party sits in the seat of power forever. Given time, the Democrats will be sitting in the corner with the dunce hat wondering what they did to piss off the electorate.

2:47 PMNope, not in our lifetimes. This is a permanent one party rule. That all the immigrants, young voters, college graduates trend towards Democrats indicate that. In fact I can see the Democrats gaining even more seats in 2010-2012 and Obama winning a huge landslide in 2012. The Republicans will be reduced to a 30% party.

"I like people who think for themselves versus the standard "dittohead" mentality."

Let's see, you spout the same old tired forty year old ideology and rhetoric. So, that is a lie. You need people who think for them selves because it is evident that you do not think at all; some one has to tell you what to write and say.

Does this mean that we're now for a Congress that rubber stamps Presidential policy? This flurry of hope and change has gotten me a bit confused so I'm not sure if that's something we're still supposed to be against, of if it's okay now.

Explain what my mentioning your coming to America...(and, by the way, bitching about damn near everything our President says or does)...

That's probably one reason why ElCKC is here.

Because he is free -- get that? -- free -- to bitch publically. Something that there is some concern about with Saul Alinksy types. And definitely not a feature available in that mecca of social enlightenment and redistribution 90 mile south of the Florida peninsula.

He was on track to get trounced in the Republican primaries by an anti-bailout economic conservative. Now he'll be running in the Democratic primary, but why would Democrats find him preferable to a more solidly Democratic politician? Especially since he is, apparently, still maintaining his opposition to Big Labor's card-check bill.

"... maybe now the Republicans, being denied the filibuster, will have to come up with some ideas that are actually appealing to voters outside their core constituencies."

The problem is that voters seem to want more government and more socialism, whether it's the "hopenchange" or the "compassionate conservatism" variety. Do you try to appeal to people even if it violates your (seemingly nonexistent) core principles?

"Because he is free -- get that? -- free -- to bitch publically. Something that there is some concern about with Saul Alinksy types. And definitely not a feature available in that mecca of social enlightenment and redistribution 90 mile south of the Florida peninsula."

Yup.

Just when I thought that Gene Olson (aka Jeremy/Michael/Luckyoldson) couldn't get any more loathsome. So he routinely hurls anti-gay comments, now he trashes immigrant Americans who came here to escape despotism. What's next? Calling the few black commenters Uncle Tom? He's admitted to letting multiple people comment using his Blogger account. He's demonstrated nothing but bad faith and contempt and a desire to make the comments here unreadable. Ignoring him doesn't seem to work because of the quantity and frequency of his comments.

But better to let him completely destroy the comments by driving every reasonable person away than do anything about him, I guess.

One of the core problems the GOP has is that its leaders are only slightly smarter than some of those who replied to my previous comment. And, that's not a good thing at all.

Rather than supporting in my superior plan to oppose Obama and the Dems, they think that 0.2% of Americans wearing teabag earrings and waving loopy signs on street corners is going to be effective. In actual fact, those CodePink-style events actually help BHO by keeping his activist opponents occupied in something that has no real appeal to most Americans. The fact that I have to point out how stupid the "parties" are indicates just how far along we are into Idiocracy.

If there's anyone out there who's smart and who wants to oppose BHO in an effective way, start a local group as described at the link above or even just encourage others to start such groups. And, don't follow those leaders whose actions have the ultimate impact of helping BHO achieve his goals.

Palladian for now you may be right that people want more and more govt programs.

Well, the Pontiac / GM plan costs another 150,000 to 200,000 jobs at dealers, and GM plants. That number does not include the parts and peripheral services. We are probably looking at 12-14% unemployment if this continues. I am not defending the car companies but the stimulus plan should have delayed some of this damage for 3-5 years. Instead it is already here.

Obama will take the blame for it and people will start to think differently.

Over 160 comments, and only a few conservative leaning folks are worried about having too few Republicans, but none are sad to see Specter as a person go. In fact, most seem pretty happy about it. ShadyCharacter is right though, nothing but vile cursing from liberal supporters of the move. One would think they would be gleeful, but instead they still seem angry and hateful.

To be clear, YEAH! Finally, Arlen Specter is gone. Now, the GOP can save money in the primary and hopefully beat the life long politician in the general election. In the meantime, Democrats lose another means of passing the buck.

Boy, it sure is funny listening to Republicans rail against Specter today. I haven't heard them that mad since-- Jim Jeffords?

But somehow when it was Strom Thurmond, Phil Gramm, Billy Tauzin and Ben Nighthorse Campbell party switching was some kind of a noble endeavor.

I guess it all depends on which direction you jump.

And yes, I completely agree that Specter's move was self-serving to ensure his re-election. Now, do you want to show me any politician anyplace that isn't willing to do what he has to, to get re-elected?

You can have himI don't want himHe's not worth fighting forBesides there's plenty more where he came fromI don't want himYou can have himI'm giving him the sackAnd he can go right back where he came fromI could never make him happyHe'd be better off with youI'm afraid I never loved himAll I ever wanted to do was

Run my fingers thru his curly locksMend his underwear and darn his socksFetch his slippers and remove his shoesWipe his glasses when he read the newsRub his forehead with a gentle touchMornings after when he's had too muchKiss him gently when he cuddled nearGive him babies one for ev'ry year, so you seeI don't want him, you can have himYou can have him, I don't want himFor he's not the man for me

I'm not all that excited about the Specter defection because I don't think it's going to make legislation much easier to pass. I hope Specter doesn't win the primary.

But symbolically it's definitely nice to see.

David Frum:The Specter defection is too severe a catastrophe to qualify as a “wake-up call.” His defection is the thing we needed the wake-up call to warn us against! For a long time, the loudest and most powerful voices in the conservative world have told us that people like Specter aren’t real Republicans – that they don’t belong in the party. Now he’s gone, and with him the last Republican leverage within any of the elected branches of government.

Now, do you want to show me any politician anyplace that isn't willing to do what he has to, to get re-elected?

John Ashcroft. He refrained from contesting the pretty clearly illegal "election" of his dead Democratic rival in the 2000 Senate race. But I agree that it is a rare thing.

I'm highly unconvinced that Specter has saved his seat, though. He's got a better shot now than he would have, but he still has to win (a) the Democratic nomination and (b) the election itself. Neither is guaranteed by any means.

And his decision to tie his defection from the Republicans to their opposition to the stimulus and bailout bills is probably good for the party, branding-wise.

The reason your little attempt to rub our noses in this doesn't really work is that Specter *already* voted with the Dems to block filibusters. That's why he was losing the Republican nomination in the first place.

If the Republicans lost a Senator who actually votes WITH the Republicans -- i.e., someone other than Snowe, Collins or Specter -- then that would hurt, quite a lot. But "losing" someone who had already opted to side with Obama isn't a real loss. :)

AL ...push more people out of your party!Yeah, like how's the pro-life wing of the Democrat party doing?

You suck the life and votes from the Irish and hispanic Catholics and buy them back with what ...? Part ownership (by theft) of a failing car manufacturer and promises of money and programs and lower income taxes, while planning on slapping them behind their backs with the disasterous cap and trade and other hidden taxes. (Smoking anyone?) Then you plan on borrowing more of our grandkidsincome by giving handouts to keep the hoi polloi in line and dependent.

Anyone remember when the former Democrat governor of PA wasn't allowed a speech at the Democratic convention?

One of the Dem purity watch dog groups has actually ran ads AGAINST Heath Schuler (D) a blue dog from North Carolina when he voted against the bailouts. I almost drove off the road thinking I was in a time warp and we were back in the campaign cycle.

Fewer and fewer people can stand the Republican Party nowadays. Specter has been viciously attacked for years by the Religious Right. But then anyone in the GOP who isn't a nut on the hard right gets bullied and attacked. Let the home schooling creationists have the pathetic remains of that once major party.

A sitting congressperson should have to win a special election to switch parties. Otherwise we open ourselves to a situation where a large number of Manchurian candidates could take over the government without the sanction of the voters.

To be honest, this does in fact put the screws to the Dems on a number of levels..first to keep together and second to be absolutely responsible and act responsibly at every turn. The most heat will come from the House; thinking that the Senate is now a lock, they may hype up their partisan jets and make a mess of things...

but on a brighter note, it may make the RNC take stock of things and get back into the game. this system will not work in one party rule.

@Alpha, at 11:35 you and I seem to have had pretty much the same thought, but then at 11:49 you talk about a political system that doesn't exist, and least of all in any state that has large, corrupt city machines (you folks from Illinois, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, you know who I'm talking about).

"You know, Jeremy, he didn't switch because of any of that. He switched because he was going to get his ass kicked by Pat Toomey in the Republican Primary. So he went to Obama, Emanuel and Ed Rendell to save his butt."

Wait- many are saying he was virtually a Democrat anyway and this is just making things official(There was a good Clay Aiken gag) and now according to you, its solely because he is scared of losing a primary. Which is it exactly?